Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore has been fined $10,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following his public criticism of Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea after the Stallions’ 1-0 loss to Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
CAF confirmed that the Sunderland forward appeared before its disciplinary committee, where his post-match remarks were ruled to be offensive and in breach of conduct regulations, particularly given his status as a national team captain at a major continental tournament.
CAF Rules Traore’s Comments Unacceptable but Stops Short of Sporting Sanctions
Traore had openly questioned several decisions made by Laryea during the Group E encounter, including the penalty awarded to Algeria in the first half and an earlier incident he felt warranted a VAR review in Burkina Faso’s favour.
“I think there was a penalty on me in the first action of the match. The referee didn’t even check VAR,” Traore said in his post-match reaction.
CAF, however, clarified that while the comments violated disciplinary standards, the punishment was limited strictly to a financial sanction, with no suspension, match ban or further sporting penalties imposed on the player.
Burkina Faso Captain Apologises During Disciplinary Hearing
During the hearing, Traore reportedly adopted a conciliatory tone, apologising for his remarks and expressing regret over both the timing and wording of his comments. He explained that his reaction was driven by frustration in the heat of the moment and insisted he had no intention of disrespecting CAF or undermining match officials.
The Burkina Faso Football Federation later confirmed its acceptance of the ruling, noting that the $10,000 fine represents the full extent of the sanction handed down to their captain.
